The First Episode of HellRaven
by Dave Mosicant
Summary: An Undead Sorceress Threatens the Fate of the world. The first Story in a Trilogy. Please R&R!
1. I

The Necromancer stepped into the camp. Wearing only black and gray, excluding his brown cap. His clothes had a few fresh blood-spots, but they weren't very noticeable. He walked in, bow pointed at the ground. Behind him followed three undead skeletons, each with torn flesh and clothes laid over their brown/gray bones. Rouge also followed, the only pleasant looking member of the party. No blood, no torn flesh, Just armor, and long blonde hair pinned up behind her face as to not get in the way in a battle. She, too, carried a bow.  
The party was out of breath from running (except the skeletons, of course). An old woman, wearing a purple cloak with shinny, golden rims walked through the dirt/grass from her wagons and tents.  
The necromancer stopped, catching his breath.  
"HellRaven..." She said, bowing her head, "What happened?"  
"What you spoke is true," He said in a deep voice, "She has come back"  
There was a deep sigh from the lady, "by who?"  
"I couldn't tell... she wasn't under command from anyone that I could see... us necromancers are the few that master the arts of raising the dead... but when raised they remain under our control," he pointed at the group of skeletons, "Like them"  
"Could it be him?" She looked up.  
"The Wanderer?"  
"Yes, you know how many rumors there are surrounding him?"  
From the side, a drunken traveler stumbled into their conversation, "Possessed by Demons, the wanderer is!" He laughed and spun around, then clung to HellRaven's arm, "By... Diablo! He came from Tristram, they say!"  
"Get off me, old man," HellRaven shook his arm and the man spun off and hit the ground laughing and hiccupping.  
"Some says..." His voice got real quiet; "he sold his soul to Diablo himself! And others say, he isn't human at all... but a pure bred demon! But I know the truth... I know!"  
"Be quiet!" The lady kicked him, "You know nothing in this drunken state!"  
She picked him up on his feet and pushed him away, he stumbled off hiccupping and laughing. The lady then turned back to HellRavne.  
"I've been to Tristram, they told me the Wanderer is the one who supposedly killed Diablo. The ones who had seemed him told me he changed, both physically and mentally. I believe Diablo possessed his spirit and soul. He is no longer completely human... Now, do you think he could've summoned it?"  
"No. I mean, why would Diablo want to resurrect one fallen sorceress..."  
The lady cleared her throat and looked at him in a sarcastic sort of look.  
"...A, very powerful sorceress," He said quietly, "But Diablo would resurrect more than one if he found that graveyard"  
She was quiet, "Perhaps you're right... but there had to be someone, right?"  
"Yes... but I'm not exactly sure who..."  
* * * * *  
Warily, the heavily armed worrier entered the graveyard. Exploring for Gold, he accidentally stumbled into an underground tomb, obviously very old. It was a small rock room, with a stone alter, weathered and broken, in the front. On the side walls, six gravestones (three on each side) stood bent against the walls.  
The room was damp, and smelt horrible to the man.  
"Hello?" He shouted, it echoed.  
No answer, so he stepped forward, thinking it would be safe. Almost as the echo of this clanging armor ended, a voice came back to him.  
"Hello"  
It was a girl's voice. The worrier was apathetic, and didn't know weather the company was good or bad.  
Then, a shape from the corner of his eye. It stood in the shadows, only revealing it's outline. Suddenly, he felt afraid for a second. But after that he felt relieved and not afraid at all. Judging from the darkened outline of the figure, the worrier saw her to be attractive. He imagined a beautiful girl stepping into the light, and then immediately running off happily together. (His lack of food and water probably added to this hope)  
But he was wrong  
She stepped into the light of the room, even he did not know where the light came from, though. She wore very few fragments of clothing... but also wore very few pieces of flesh. She was practically a skeleton... alive and walking, one of her eyes was still intact and she held a very old scepter, gems filling up the three sockets.  
He stumbled backwards, making plenty of noise. Then, he fell. Before he knew it, the Undead one was standing above him. The worrier tried to stay strong and he pulled his sword out of its sheath, "Stay back!" he shouted.  
The Undead one laughed, and stuck the scepter to his forehead.  
In a few moments to him, all was black as he ascended to his afterlife. But, in the tomb, his head exploded from the inside, shooting blood and ripped, blood-soaked flesh and bones everywhere. The man's body shook for a couple of seconds before realizing it was dead.  
The walls were now covered in blood, and has few various bone pieces stuck inside the wall. The floor, had pieces of flesh, a pile of bones, and a huge puddle of blood crawling across the floor from what was left of the man's corpse.  
* * * * *  
HellRaven followed the lady into another section of the camp. She  
stopped to talk to a man who was selling liquor, and obviously was  
selling it too much.  
Soon, the female rouge walked up to him, "Does she know anything about  
this sorceress?"  
"Some..." he turned to her, then put his hands on her shoulders, "Paige...  
I know that I paid you to help me complete these crazy adventures, but I  
must warn you that she told me this sorceress used to be feared as much  
as Diablo in the older times... before Diablo even appeared on the Mortal  
Realms. If you do not want to, you can take the rest of your pay and find  
someone else to adventure with..."  
She pushed his arms back down at his sides, "I'm not afraid of Diablo,  
I am not afraid of some dead sorceress," She paused, "And besides, I've  
never met a necromancer with a heart before." She smiled and stepped  
back, nodding forward, HellRaven looked and saw the lady coming back to  
him.  
As much as HellRaven liked Paige, (and not only as an adventuring  
companion), he didn't like how she seemed to play her game always  
brushing him aside. Or, maybe she didn't like him. His worst fears. But,  
maybe his worst fears are true, and she only likes him as an adventurer.  
If only he could ask... if only he could know...  
"HellRaven!"  
The lady's shout made him jump. He looked at her.  
"May I speak to you privately?"  
She opened her tent and signaled for him to enter. 


	2. II

He almost disappeared as his black clothing blended in the darkness of the tent. If it wasn't for his white hair and pale skin...  
"Did you ask her yet?" The lady asked, from what HellRaven could see, she was smiling.  
"No... I've been kind of busy running for my life... that sorcerer..."  
"Take your mind off your adventures, you always do that every time I speak to you about her," She poured a drink of tea for him, "Have a drink"  
He took it, cupping it in his hands. He thanked her, then took a sip, "Well, you always talk to me about her when we should be talking about adventures"  
"We have spoke of adventures all day, and you have met your adventure. Now I will give in to you, we will speak of adventures for a bit more. What happened with the Sorceress?"  
"We were inside her hidden tomb, with plenty of other graves there too... I had a Clay Golem added to our party at the time. The Sorceress then revealed herself to us. You could barley tell that at one time she was one of the most powerful Sorceresses, but, once she fought, you could tell. She was armed with a scepter. She looked weak, and, honestly, I believed she was. Most Undead are when they're... 'fresh'. So we preceded to attack her. I had hoped that if we killed her, then it would be all over before it began. But we failed," he took another sip of his drink, "She destroyed the clay golem with one hit of her spell... and we ran. All the way back. And the Sorceress stayed in her tomb"  
"You smart, HellRaven. I would have done the same thing"  
Then it was silent for a whie, "Go to Lut Golein, Recruit some men and spread the word of this undead sorceress. The day you return, we will kill her"  
"Lut Golein?" he exclaimed, dropping his cup, "That's a four day trip from here! By the time we return, the Sorceress would've killed everyone!"  
"Calm down," She began to yell, "I've set you on every adventure I've known! And you complete most if not all of them!" her voice, grew quiet again, "Trust me. Outside, one of our Rouges has a wagon and horse ready right now. It's a One day ride to Lut Golein. She, like the rest of s, understands the severity of this prediciment. If the sorceress isn't dead, then too many people will die at her hands"  
"When where you planning on telling me this?" He was happy for the ride, but angry in her stalling, "I come in and you want to talk to me about Paige. Then you say you have everything prepared?"  
She laughed, "Just go. And, Lut Golein is a pretty place at night" She winked and nodded to Paige as she guided him out.  
HellRaven laughed a small, almost undistinguishable laugh; he was amused as to what she was hinting  
* * * * *  
Ouside the camp, just around the huge stick walls, was a wagon, a horse, and a new rouge looking eager to go (but the eagerness was also fear of the necromancer, for so many rumors go about around them too).  
"Lets go!" He yelled.  
Paige walked into view of the rouge, and she climbed up the wagon with HellRaven's help, them both smiling then his smile turned to a frown as She imminently ignored him and started talking to the rouge.  
His temper seemed to click on at that moment, as his Skeletons did not come out yet.  
"Lets GO!!!" He yelled louder, Everyone became silent and looked at HellRaven. Then they watched three fully armed Skeletons come out from the wall and stealthy climb up and sit down on the wagon.  
HellRaven began to climb up and the fell back down as the new rouge screamed in terror, and jumped off her horse, her face almost as pale as HellRaven's skin.  
"What? What's the matter?" He said  
"T-t-them! What!?" She stammered, pointing to the Skeletons, and falling down on the grass, trying to scream.  
HellRaven sighed, and held out his hand, the three Skeletons then turned their heads and looked at HellRaven, "Haven't you ever seen a Skeleton?"  
Then suddenly all 3 fell apart, their bones either disappearing or falling off to the side.  
"Get into the wagon we must go as quickly as possible" She tried to stand, and walked to her horse, shaking and got on. Then HellRaven finally jumped into the back. Paige was staring at him. Then she spoke, "Nice sympathy. She almost died of fear and all you can think about is Lut Golein"  
He sank down in his seat, "Better to die of fear than to die of what will happen if we don't reach Lut Golein" he said under his breathe .The wagon started to move very quickly.  
"What did you just say?"  
"Nothing"  
He was quiet for the rest of the trip, and she comforted the rouge as the camp got out of sight... but so did the sun... 


	3. III

The wagon stopped atop a large hill. Obviously, they were camping there. HellRaven jumped out, pissed off that Paige was angry at him for trying to save lives. He stormed off onto another hill attached to theirs and separated by trees. Off in the distance, he saw the lights of Lut Golein, and on the other side, the plains in which they came.  
He tooka breath of air, looking at the dark cloud spotted with stars. After calming down, he began to make his way back to the camp, and overheard a conversation.  
"So what's your name?" It was Paige's voice.  
"Sarah, I'm new. But they say that some Sorceress is going to kill everyone unless..."  
"Yes, what did they say about Lut Golein?"  
"You mean... no one told you? Not even HellRaven? I thought he would have told you..."  
"No. He doesn't tell me much... most necromancers are like that. To themselves... but he's always worried about me... I don't know... So why are we going to Lut Golein?"  
"HellRaven stopped in his tracks, and backed up.  
Necromancers are like that?  
He turned away and ran back to the hill.  
"What little love I had is wasted..." he then preceded to arm his bow and an arrow, waiting in silence, and then fired it, the arrow shot down into the darkness of the trees. He then heard a ghoulish scream, it was not human.  
"What the-"  
From the silence of the night came a low, chirping noise and the flapping of wings. It got louder and louder, HellRaven stepped away from the trees, and then hundreds of flying creatures covered the sky and roared over his head.  
Soon, there was so much of them it was like a dome.  
The bow shot again, and down flew a bird, then another. Three Birds. HellRaven then outstretched his hand toward the fallen creatures, and muttered some words. Instantly, the bodies exploded, sending blood everywhere, as the skin of the animal sank down like a paper in the wind. From the bodies outstretched 3 blood-soaked human skeletons. He smiled an evil smile "Necromancers are like this!" he then lifted his hand up and shouted, and from the earth came a bulky human figure made out of rocks and dirt. He immediately began attacking the birds, but it was too late as they already passed.  
"Hello? HellRaven?"  
Paige and Sarah walked up the hill then stopped, staring at HellRaven's Skeletons and Clay Golem.  
"Did you scare them?" They asked.  
"No," he turned away from them, "They were running from there," he pointed won at the grass plains, "But why..."  
Then not a split second later, there was a large flash and a stream of smoke rose up somewhere near the lights of the rouge encampment.  
"Something's going on..."  
"We have to head back! They could all be in trouble!" Sarah shouted, overcoming her fear of the necromancer for her friends back in the camp.  
"No!," HellRaven turned to her, "You have to get recruitments from Lut Golein. I'll head back to the camp"  
"But-"  
"If we head back now, we won't be able to defeat the Sorceress, we need more people. Get Recruitments and come back as quickly as possible!"  
* * * * *  
  
Fire  
  
The man tried to stand, but his head entered a cloud of black smoke that filled and congested his lungs. Again, he fell on the hardwood floor of his home.  
What had happened?  
One second, he remembered eating dinner, and the next his house caught on fire with an accompanying bang of sound. And now, he was in trouble and confused. He didn't know where to go as fire blocked everywhere he had the ability to look.  
He started to cough, and the crackle of his house in flames seemed to grow. Soon, he thought he heard a girls voice from behind him.  
"Hello? Help me! Help!" He shouted above the fire.  
Not to much time later, the Undead Sorceress stepped from the flame, her skeleton foot landing right near the man's scared face. The man's fear grew even more and he began to franticly call for help.  
The Sorceress then put her scepter on his forehead, just like she did the others. The man has seen skeletons before, and even a few zombies. But this one was the most horrid and evil looking he has ever seen.  
She muttered a few words, her jaw moving up and down. There was no tongue, and only a few skin pieces remained on her skull. But somehow, fresh words came from her mouth.  
Almost as she was finished speaking, and arrow was shot through her bone skull from the opposite side of the room. She stumbled back, trying to take the arrow out.  
Four Rouges jumped next to the man.  
"H-Hello" he said, surprised and clueless.  
"We'll help you" One said, smiling.  
Two of the Rouges continued to shoot arrows at the bones of the sorceress, the other two picked the man up and jumped over the flames, out a window. They set him down and hurriedly got their horses over to him. They helped the man on the black horse, they both jumped on their horses, the black haired girl ridding with the man.  
With a yell and a kick from the Rouges, they began going full speed across the grassy plains.  
Soon, the other two burst out of the window, and ran to their horses, Even from the great distance they were apart, the man could tell one of their leg's was spurting blood, and had the bottom half of her legs painted in it. But still she ran, almost ignoring the pain it must have been giving her. But soon, she reached her horse and was off as well, his burning house lighting the dark sky with fire and smoke.  
* * * * *  
Sarah took the wagon speeding off in the direction of Lut Golein, and that left HellRaven, his army of Creatures, and Paige.  
"Lets go" HellRaven said and began walking down the hill.  
Paige didn't move. Instead, she looked strait at HellRaven, "What the hell is your problem!?" She said, as he turned around.  
"What?"  
"No speeches of how much you don't want me hurt? You sent a new rouge to recruit in Lut Golein!? Where's the heart I thought you had? Ever since we left the camp, you've been like this!"  
"Necromancers are like that" he said, trying to hold his anger and hurt inside of him. Then he turned down and started to continue down the hill.  
Paige was dumfounded, "What...?" She said almost in a whisper to herself.  
HellRaven knew she wasn't following yet, probably due to his episode. But his anger told him not to care, and he tried, with all of his emotional power.  
Just before he got out of her sight, Paige began to realize what he was mad at. And she struggled to run and catch up with him. 


	4. IV

"Hey!"  
A Barbarian, wearing some heavy silver armor, with two axe's strapped to his back ran up to a group of two Paladins, each wearing the same type of armor.  
One, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a clear face turned, "Hey Sagent!" They shook hands and smiled.  
"Haven't seen you around these parts in a while, Will and Bagon! The two holy worriers and brothers... What bring you back to Lut Golein?"  
Will, the blonde haired one spoke, "Just traveling. We got bored" and laughed.  
Sagent accompanied him in laughter, but soon, Will stopped and leaned in to speak to Sagent in whispers.  
"Actually, Bagon's been saying he's been having some visions... something... and he commanded me to go with him here... although still he hasn't told me what this business is all about"  
"Ah! Well non the less, I enjoy your company!"  
The three smiled, and walked down the dark road.  
"It's late," Sagent said, "Almost near midnight, an there's a strange sense of fear in the air. You're welcome to stay at my little place"  
"Thank you, Sagent," Will said, "We'll take your very generous offer"  
"Then follow me"  
Sagent led them to his house, near the entrance to the city. All the while, Bagon not saying a word.  
* * * * *  
"HellRaven! Stop!" Paige ran in front of him to stop him.  
He was quiet, and just looked at her.  
"I'm sorry..." She began, "I didn't know something like that would hurt you so much... I was just trying to comfort Sarah at the time..."  
"Paige..." He embraced her hand in his, "I have something to tell you..."  
"I know," She pulled from his hand to put her finger on his lips, "The old lady told me"  
And with that she kissed him, and pulled away, "Now we have a Sorceress to kill"  
"Right" He nodded and they ran down the hill now, not feeling the littlest depressed, as they ran they spoke of what HellRaven had been hiding all this time, and of what the old lady had told Paige.  
* * * * *  
The sun soon came up over the distant mountains and hills, covering the darkness of the night with a pleasant, blue sky dotted with puffs of small white clouds racing across the sky. A small breeze made the heat of the day bearable and almost pleasant... if it was not for the five adventurers and settlers killed last night, not including an expert rouge bleeding to death from a huge gash in her leg.  
The lady ran to the front gates of the camp, holding her dress in front of her, "What happened!?" She shouted.  
2 Rouges on horses stopped to get off, the one on the right spoke, "Another 3 travelers killed, definitely by the Sorceress... the scene was too much to describe.. And there's no other creatures anywhere. I think they have all fled."  
"Another 3..." She looked down and straitened her dress, "We must keep on patrol... and although I fear that it could cost the lives of more rouges at the hands of this damned Sorceress!" She kicked the ground, having dust kick up into the air, "Keep on patrol, and keep safe"  
"Yes, and we will"  
They ran back to their horses, jumped on and rode off in a cloud of dust.  
"God bless you and us all..." She said quietly as she turned and ran back inside the camp.  
She ran inside a new tent, it was white, and fairly large. Inside, a group of people lay, one with a white sheet over her body, and a huge blood spot near the leg.  
"How are they?" She asked a Rouge carrying some towels over th the survivors to cover their wounds.  
"They'll be fine... some are a little shaken up, and the one we got in the woods... his arm is completely numb. Probably due to that spear we found in his shoulder..."  
"Show me"  
She nodded and walked over to a sleeping man, and lifted off a towel with a large puddle of blood crusted onto one side. Right where the man's joint should have been, there was a huge gaping hole, filled with fresh blood and pieces of bone, and inside a bowl of muscle and tissue. When it was off, she noticed his arm wasn't even attached to his body—just held on by skin and whatever tissue wasn't torn.  
"The bleeding stopped pretty early last night... All the blood you see inside is coming from the body collecting it there. We'll need to amputate it by the end of tonight" She then put a new towel over the wound.  
"You know what to do"  
They both bid good luck and God bless, then the lady went outside to check on everything else. They were in chaos, fear, and all had adrenaline by the gallons flowing their veins.  
* * * * *  
"Sagent has prepared breakfast downstairs" Will said to Bagon, as he was readying his armor on and putting his sword in his sheath at his side.  
"Why so much preparation?" Will asked, his armor and sword already on, and clanging against the hardwood floor of Sagent's upstairs.  
"She's already begun..." he said, "I saw it in my dream..."  
The first thing he's said since their meeting with their old friend Sagent. The whole reason Will was here was because he felt sorry for his brother.  
Quietly, he didn't know what to say, "I—I'll be downstairs" he said, walking out into the hallway illuminated by the sun shining through the windows, lifting up dust and floating them around in the sun through the dirty windows.  
He made his way, (very loudly), downstairs. Sagent had prepared some bread and other assortments of food.  
"There is one!," he said loudly, "But where is Bagon?"  
"I don't know," Will sat down in a chair and rubbed his eyes, "He's been like this before... Just not as bad as this..." Sagent sat down next to him, "He thinks about when we were separated as kids... I went to the good parents and he to an abusive couple. That's why I had to get him out as a kid... and we ran away. He thinks about his times as a child there through, and gets like this... I've just ever seen it this bad before... and these supposed 'dreams' he's been having..."  
"Well he's got to have some reason for coming here, maybe he truly believes in those dreams—maybe they're sent to him for a reason" Sagent suggested.  
"Or maybe he's insane..."  
Almost as he said that, Bagon clanged down the stairs, and turned to Sagent and Will.  
"Ah! Bagon! Want some food?" The barbarian stood up and wiped his hands, getting ready to prepare food for him.  
"No," Bagon said, looking outside, "We have to head back to the main gates, now"  
"What?" Will stood up, "Why?"  
Without saying a word, Bagon moved out the front door, and Will turned to Sagent.  
Sagent smiled and said, "Well, lets go"  
They both followed Bagon's quick footsteps. They finally reached the main entrance of Lut Golein, there, was a Rouge, getting down from her horse to climb in her wagon near the entrance.  
Once she was atop the creaking wagon, she cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled, "Listen up!," All the people there turned around, including Bagon, Will and Sagent, "Over on those plains, And Undead Sorceress has been awakened!," She pointed towards the mountains and hills, "We need recruitments at the Rouge Encampment! If the sorceress is not defeated, all our lives could be at risk!"  
Almost have the crowd moved away, disregarding her as another typical thing that happens in that city almost everyday. A few stayed to here out her unmoving speech. She looked around, half embarrassed and half unknowing what to do.  
"I will help!" Bagon yelled, Loudly.  
Sagent whispered to Will, "..The first thing I've heard him say since out meeting last night..."  
"Thank you" The Rouge started to help the Paladin up on the wagon.  
"Well," Will whispered back, "We better go help"  
"What?" Sagent said, "The sun just rose! Why another adventure? I have food back at the house..."  
"If you don't want to come, I understand. You have given us enough of your hospitality, and thank you," he turned to the Rouge on the wagon, "I will help, too"  
His brother and the Rouge helped him on the wagon.  
Some more of the crowd began moving away slowly. And a small murmur of business in Lut Golein started. But over that murmur, came a deep voice.  
  
"Then I suppose I will help!"  
The barbarian walked forward and got helped on the wagon. Atop the wagon, they all stood looking down for any other people who would help their cause. From the moving crowd of people, a girl, cloaked in black and rather attractive stepped out.  
"I will help, too" she said.  
A Female Necromancer  
She was helped onto the wagon with the others. As soon as she was on, her and Bagon's face stared at each other in astonishment.  
Everyone noticed this, and looked puzzled, then Bagon spoke, "...You were in my dream..."  
She answered, "So were you..."  
* * * * *  
HellRaven woke up from the sunlight pressing against his eyes; he stood up from leaning against a tree at the bottom of a hill. He stretched and put his bow on, then looked around.  
On his left, a hill filled with green trees, and on his right, grassy plains with hills in the distance, two small streams of smoke coming from where the large explosion was last night. Paige was still asleep, but she was beginning to wake up. Then, from the side, running near the hill line, were two Rouges on horses, going full speed.  
They stopped in front of HellRaven and Paige woke up.  
"Hey! HellRaven! Paige!" They said, Paige waved as she rubbed her eyes to wake up.  
"What's going on?" HellRaven said, tired.  
"The Sorceress has been killing. We've been on patrol since last night trying to save as many people as we can. One of our Rouges has been killed..."  
"What!?" Paige ran forward and fell on her knees, ignoring her tiredness, "Who?"  
"Heather"  
"No!" Paige put her hands to her face and began to cry. Heather and her had been good friends when not on an adventure.  
"Come on," HellRaven helped her up, "We don't have time for mourning yet," He wiped away the tears on her cheek, "We have to kill the sorceress before anymore die"  
She nodded, and then took his hand in hers.  
"We can take you both back to the camp, you can speak with the old lady there"  
They agreed, and hoped on their horses, leaving HellRaven's Skeleton's bones and pile of dirt. (He destroyed his Skeletons and Clay Golems last night, when they decided to sleep).  
They both rid on separate horses, each with a Rouge. They rode as fast as they could, and expected to be at the camp soon. About an hour from noon, they arrived at the huge wooden walls of the Rouge camp.  
"Here you are" The Rouges said, letting them off and then taking off quickly without saying a word to patrol.  
The two were about to walk in, when the old lady walked out, "What? Where are the recruitments? The wagon? Horse? Sarah!?"  
"Sarah is getting recruitments" HellRaven said quickly.  
"What?"  
"We saw the explosion from the hills last night. Sarah took the horse and wagon to Lut Golein to get recruitments. Paige and me ran back here to see what that explosion was. And the Rouges you sent on patrol told us news that doesn't sound good"  
"And it's not getting any better!" She yelled angrily at them both, "Sarah is new! What happens if some wild demonic creature attacked her on the way!?"  
"She'll be fine!" he yelled back, "Trust me. Now what's going on here?"  
"My trust for you is growing short... but if you must know all my Rouges are on patrol of the plains in groups of 2 or more. One has fallen saving a man from that explosion you saw last night. The sorceress is on a killing rampage..." 


	5. V

Almost midday, and the wagon was just beginning to cross over the hills leading to the plains. The horse had Sarah on it, and in the wagon was Will, Bagon, Sagent, and the female necromancer (Who's named they learned was Fray). Everyone was quiet, asides from Bagon and Fray, whose conversation was not only hitting their ears, but everyone else's as well.  
"So you've been having the same dreams as me?" Fray said.  
"Yes... It keeps recurring like instructions... the first couple of dreams were of you... in some graveyard... you raised a horrid undead soul... one I cannot begin to describe. Then a voice, a sweet voice, from nowhere inside my dreams kept telling me to go to Lut Golein. And, I did. This morning the same voice commanded I go to the main gates. Where all this recruiting started..."  
"The same with me!" Fray shouted, "But my last dream was awkward... I couldn't really see anything but fog, and an image of people... all lined up... then one by one they began to fall down... and after that the voice started again..."  
Will leaned over to Sagent, "What do you make of all this?" he whispered.  
"Not sure," He whispered back, "They seem to be having those dreams for a reason... and they're both so alike that they definitely aren't caused by insanity," the wagon hit a bump as they started to climb over the hills on a pre-carved trail, they all fell out of their seats, but soon, they all climbed back on and Sagent continued, "Not Insanity... Maybe spells... after all we seem to be heading towards a sorceress or something..."  
"Do you think it could be demons?"  
Sagent got an astonished look on his face, "Maybe. Necromancers deal so much with the dead I wouldn't be surprised for Fray... but that still doesn't explain Bagon's or why they're so Similar..."  
Will leaned back away from Sagent, leaving them both thinking.  
"What the—"Sarah said. Everyone looked up, "Hold on!"  
All the sudden, Several little creatures began running past them, shaking the wagon and kicking up dust from the trail. Will turned his head backwards to try and see where they were heading, but instead saw that the bump they had hit before was a dead body of these creatures.  
They were blue, and two that they could see carried a stick of skulls and a flag. They made Hellish noises and looked even more Hellish. Soon, the group had passed, but 6, including one flag bearer stayed behind.  
"What are they doing?" Sagent said from behind Will.  
All the sudden, they began to push on the Wagon trying to tip it over.  
"Lets go!" Fray jumped out of the Wagon onto the grass beside the trail, 3 of the creatures left the wagon and looked at her. One made a loud screeching noise and all three charged.  
Fray pulled out a Dagger from under her cloak and twirled around, 2 backed off to not be hit from the twirling, and the one that screeched stayed, only to be hit by the dagger. She stopped spinning and stabbed it in the eye, having blood and puss ooze from the socket. The creature made even more a horrible noise than before, and backed into the wagon.  
One of the others yelled and jumped on to Fray's back, pushing her down to the ground.  
"Hold on!" Bagon drew out his sword and jumped from the wagon next to Fray. He swung his sword up, cutting the creature on Fray on his stomach, spewing blood everywhere. Fray finished off the other Creature and Bagon beheaded his. They then turned to the last.  
Sagent and Will were having more trouble than them, they killed two normal creatures several times, but the flag bearer, who was standing out of range kept resurrecting them with a spell.  
"We have to kill that one!" Will pointed to the Flag Bearer while fighting off his opponent again.  
"Ok! Cover me!" Sagent pulled his two axes from the creature's arms that he was fighting, and ran towards the flag bearer.  
"Die!" He lifted both hands into the air, bloody axes shining in the sun, but all the creature did was make another noise, this one more a grunt, then it threw forward its hand, and out came a ball of flame and energy, and smacked Sagent down. Hard, giving him several bruises and burns.  
"I got him!" Sarah stood up on the horse and shot an arrow. At him, the arrow struck him in his shoulder and it screamed in pain, and then knocked Sarah off her horse with his attack.  
Fray and Bagon, now finished with their batch of creatures ran around the corner.  
"Bagon, help Sagent" Fray ran forward, by the time the creature noticed her, she was close, and he only swiped his hand out, ripped her cloak in half and throwing it on the ground, to show her all black and rather revealing outfit, showing most of her legs, stomach and back.  
She screamed and stabbed the creature in its neck with her dagger, blood shot out, and the creature fell over.  
Everyone caught their breath and stood up, Fray retrieved her cloak, or what was left of it, and put it on, several scratches, and the front was ripped. She climbed on the wagon, "You fight well," she said helping the others up.  
"So do you"  
Everyone got back into their seats and continued on.  
"What were they all about?" Will said, out of breath.  
"They were running" Sarah said silently.  
"From what?"  
"...The Sorceress"  
They rode on and Fray began to stitch up her cloak.  
* * * * *  
Just before Sundown the wagon was coming into view of the camp. A Rouge called out from the gates, and the old lady, HellRaven and Paige ran out. They covered their eyes from the setting sun and orange sky to watch it approach.  
"Your lucky," The old lady said to HellRaven, "She is coming back, and hopefully she'll have some recruits"  
She looked away, and he looked at Paige and gave her a smile, "I told you"  
When the wagon reached the camp the sky was half dark blue and orange. Stars showed up, and it was getting very dark.  
The wagon stopped, and Sarah jumped off her horse first, then the Barbarian, two Paladins, and a Female Necromancer.  
"You did well," the old lady said, and Sarah thanked her, "Who are these?"  
"We can introduce ourselves, if you'd like," Sagent said, "I am Sagent, these two with the swords are Will and Bagon... brothers if you cant tell... and that one..." He pointed to Fray, "Is Fray... She's knew... to me... I mean..."  
HellRaven stepped forward, "I'm HellRaven. And this," he held his hand toward Paige, "Is Paige"  
"So... what exactly are we into here?" Sagent asked.  
"Well," The lady stepped forward to the group, "What do you know"  
Sagent answered this question, too, "Not much. We encountered some creatures running from some Sorceress Sarah told us about... but we mainly came because of this one's will," he gestured to Bagon, "Crazy dream's he's been having, makes him to crazy things! We follow him, then on this wagon we learned she's been having some crazy dreams too," he gestured toward Fray, "Strange, don't you think?"  
The old lady stepped forward stroking her chin, moving through the darkness of the coming night towards Bagon, Will moving aside.  
"Yes—"  
As soon as she opened her mouth to try and speak, a loud crash of thunder sounded off in the distance. The group turned their heads, and saw a dark cloud—blacker than the night already around them—beginning to cover the stars and blanket the sky with it's intimidating darkness and occasional flash of lightning.  
A gust of chilly air swept across the plains, hitting the group.  
"Perfect time for a storm, eh?" Sagent said, laughing.  
"No," The old lady sounded afraid, "This is no ordinary storm..."  
"What do you mean?" HellRaven stepped forward, and Paige held onto his arm.  
"The Storm..." the lady turned around, looking at Fray and Bagon, both of them looking at the ground as the wind blew. She gripped her hands underneath their chins and pulled both of their faces up to look at her, "Your dreams! Did you see this in your dreams!?" She shouted very aggressively over the wind.  
"No," Fray spoke, and the lady let go of Bagon, letting him free to stare at the ground again as both her hands now touched Fray's face.  
"What did you see?"  
Loud Thunder  
"Only people..." She spoke as it bean to drizzle, barley though, "Through a cloud... They fell one by one... that was my last dream..."  
"A simple sign of death... and we all know that is too come..." She turned both hands back to Bagon, "You! What did you see?"  
"I will not say..."  
"What did you see!?" She yelled louder.  
Bagon yelled back, "I have not spoken of my last dream since I woke up and it was gone! There it shall stay! Because it horrified me too much..."  
"Speak, fool!" She yelled, wind blew past them, a bit heavier and stronger this time.  
Will turned and pushed Bagon on the shoulder, "Come on! We need to know!"  
Bagon looked up, "A storm covered the sky..." then there was lighting as the cloud seemed to creep up on them with a greater speed, "The Undead one was on one side of the plains... and he was on the other," he pointed to HellRaven, he was surprised and even more curious now, "...was on the other. They ran towards the middle... and lighting came from the sky... as if controlled by the Undead One... it struck him on his hear. But he did not fall, just cried... and She did not fall either... then... and... then the voice started again..."  
"Voice?" Everyone seemed to be haunted by the dream he spoke of, and the old lady was going about it very carefully.  
"Yes..."  
"What Voice?"  
"A girls voice... she talks to me after all these dreams..."  
"What did she say? What!?"  
Will looked at her angrily for getting mad at Bagon when he did not do anything to her. She noticed this and backed away a bit.  
"She said," Bagon looked at the ground again, "It has begun"  
"What has begun..." She said to herself.  
"She will begin slaying everyone," he heard her question and answered in an almost droning voice, "And then, once they're all dead..."  
"She'll resurrect a necromancer under her control, probably through the use of a very powerful wand, since she wont have any trouble finding it if the worlds dead. Then she'll make the necromancer resurrect everyone else... they'll all be under her control"  
The wind picked up.  
"But why..."  
"So she can be Queen of the World"  
"Greed!" The old lady kicker her feet just as another thunder clash sounded.  
"But what I don't get," Sagent asked, "Is why these two were sent the dreams..."  
"Yes... a necromancer and a paladin... wait!"  
Everyone looked at her.  
"Fray! Your first dream! And Bagon, yours, what were they?"  
"Both of ours were of me," Fray said, "Resurrecting the Undead in some graveyard!"  
"That's it!" She shouted as the light Drizzle turned to a warm rain, 'The Sorceress used your power—somehow through your dreams—to resurrect herself. But that doesn't explain Bagon..."  
Everyone gulped at the thought.  
"Now, we all know what we are to stop. This storm seems to be of her doing... everyone find some shelter inside the encampment"  
They entered one by one as the sky grew darker than dark. The few Rouges and traders left watched them enter, first the lady, then Paige, HellRaven, Sagent, Bagon, Will, Fray, and then the two other Rouges. A group of more three more just rode up, seeking shelter from the storm. 


	6. VI

All through the night the storm only got worse, every once and a while a group of Rouges would return to the camp. Some perfectly fine, and some injured, none were dead to their knowledge.  
Everyone was separated into their own tents to Shelter them from the storm. (HellRaven and Paige shared one).  
Their tent was lit by a small fire, which gave everything inside a rusty glow. They both were quiet as outside, over the occasional boom of thunder and the pounding of rain, they heard another group of Rouges ride up, and be greeting by the old lady, they sounded very worried.  
"She's coming," said one of them.  
"Here? From where?" The only lady sounded worried at this, too.  
There was some shuffling as the second one spoke, "She's coming from her tomb. We saw her and didn't know it was her... she just looked like a zombie or skeleton... like we usually see out there... but that one Rouge ran up to her... both her and her horse were struck by lighting when that damned Sorceress looked over at her"  
"How bad was it?"  
"She died instantly... thankfully we couldn't see anything detailed through the darkness and the rain"  
"And she's coming here?"  
Another voice spoke, obviously another Rouges, "I'd give her about 10 minutes before she reaches the camp"  
"Damn it... get as many Rouges as you can, give them lanterns, armor, horses—anything they need. And get me 6 horses and lanterns for the Recruitments and HellRaven's friends. I'll get them"  
It wasn't long before she opened their ten, "She's heading here"  
And with that they were given Lanterns and Horses. The lady and her Rouges were busy getting the others up and reach.  
Paige turned to HellRaven in the rain, lit by her lantern and spoke, "So this is it. Are you ready?"  
HellRaven breathed in deep, then closed his eyes to think, "No," he put his lantern on his side, "I need to do something..."  
He started moving when Paige yelled, "Wait! Let me come!" She rode up next to him, and HellRaven stopped.  
"No. Stay here, I'll be back"  
"No! That Sorceress is so close! You might run into her and—"  
"I won't," He put his hand on her shoulder they looked at each other for a bit as they listened to the rain around them, "I have to go raise Skeletons for the fight. Maybe I'll take a little longer if I summon a Skeletal Mage—I've never tried that—but I have too. We need everything I can do if we're going to fight a Sorceress this powerful. I need to do it alone for it to be quicker. But I promise... I'll return"  
She nodded and kissed him. Before she knew it, he was off full speed.  
  
Outside the camp, It was pitch black. If HellRaven didn't have his lantern, him or his horse wouldn't even be able to see the little they could"  
Three bodies  
That's all he needed—All he wanted.  
* * * * *  
Everyone (Except HellRaven and the many Rouges, who were getting their briefing elsewhere) stood outside their lit up tents in the rain.  
The old lady stood in front of them, in the rain.  
Thunder sounded as she began to speak, "The Sorceress is heading this way as we speak!" Everyone began looking around at each other, except for Paige, who was praying for HellRaven all she could, "You and plenty of Rouges will line up a little beyond this camp, and when she arrives, we will fight her with all we can"  
"You don't sound to sure about this..." Sagent said.  
"This is no time for doubt or fear, we're trusting you'll fight—and we've just met you a couple of hours ago. So let me explain to you the situation"  
Sagent nodded.  
She explained what hey were going to face, and they listened very carefully. When she was finished, she heard a call from the Rouges.  
"Line up at the Gates. And good luck"  
Thunder rumbled through the camp and there was an almost blinding flash of lighting  
* * * * *  
The lightning illuminated the area around him for a second, and HellRaven noticed two lumps to his left. His assumptions were correct, two dead Quill Rats. Common bodies found on the plains, but they still served his purpose.  
He jumped off his horse, grabbing his lantern, "I've got to be quick" he said to himself.  
He stood over the corpses, which appeared to have been killed by natural causes, and closed his eyes, stretching out his hands over the bodies. This seemed like the most Silence he has had in the past two days, even in the rain falling hard on the grass around him.  
Suddenly, the corpse exploded and a human Skeleton emerged. Then he moved to the next once. He prepared himself to raise a new type of Undead, a Skeletal Mage. He himself had never successfully cast this spell, but he has seen many others who had.  
He stretched out his hand again closing his eyes.  
Nothing  
Still determined, he drew some symbols on the creature with his finger, then assumed the position he was just in. After a few seconds of concentration, this corpse exploded and out came a Skeleton with green glowing hands and a more freighting look on its bloody face.  
HellRaven was pleased, and then threw his left hand forward, having a Clay Golem form from the earth's crust.  
"It's time to go" He jumped back onto his horse, and took off, with a Skeleton, Skeletal Mage and Clay Golem following closely behind.  
* * * * *  
Around 20 Rouges, all on horses were waiting at the front gates when the group began to ride up. Everyone had a lantern, horse and was wearing some sort of armor. The old lady moved in frond of the group to speak again through the rain, which just became even heavier.  
"Fight w—"  
A huge ball of fire shot out from the darkness outside the camp, and crashed through a section of the wooden wall, sending wood everywhere, and then it smashed into a tent, exploding in a blast almost as loud as the thunder.  
The group looked over to see the broken wall and huge crater filled with pieces of fire.  
A soothing girls voice spoke over the camp, "I can sense your fear from here..." 


	7. VII

HellRaven had seen the blast as he raced up even quicker back to the camp. The rain seemed to get heavier the closer he came to the camp. His Undead Companions weren't straining a bit, just following him silently.  
There was a flash of lighting, and it showed him that he was a lot closer than he though, and he saw the sorceress very faintly to his left, marching toward the camp.  
"They'll probably ride soon..." he said to himself. Then he changed directions. Instead of heading strait for the camp, he was heading strait for the Sorceress.  
* * * * * "Go! Now!" The old lady yelled. Everyone charged, all wielding weapons. There was another ball of fire that hit the ground just outside the walls on their left. It hit no one, and they didn't stop charging. The sorceress was coming into view over the rain. She waved her skeletal hand, and wind, great wind, blew from her direction and hit the group. The Rouges yelled commands at others, and Sagent fell off his horse, hitting the soaked ground hard. Will turned around and jumped off his horse, sword in hand. "Come on!" He helped him up. "I don't need my horse... Lets go!" Sagent pulled his two hand axe's out from the ground, and ran full speed through the wind. The wind ceased and about 10 of the Rouges cut off of the group to assault her from her right. Bagon was the first to reach the Sorceress, and he rid up next to her, and timing it correctly he jumped off his moving horse and landed in front of her. He swung his sword at her, but she grabbed the blade and lifted it up high, leaving Bagon floating above the ground, since he was still holding on. There were yells behind the Sorceress as the group of Rouges charge, two of them (The one's wielding bows) shot wildly at the Undead Sorceress. The rest of the group finally caught up with the Sorceress. Will attempted the same feature as his brother, with the Sorceresses other hand busy, he figured it would be easier. He rode up next to her, but eh Sorceresses open hand shot out, and her bone fingers dug into the side of the horse. The horse made several noises, and jumped up, knocking Will to the ground. The jumps made the Sorceresses hand move along, tearing at the animal's insides. Blood spurted out and some of the animal's organs began pressing against the huge gashes, and soon it tried to jump again. Fed up with this game, the bone hand shot inside and blood began to soak the horse's hair; it fell over and died instantly. Will stood up, terrified at the sight of what this animal had just gone through. He armed his sword, and saw Bagon still holding onto his. "Bagon!"  
  
Thunder Rolled  
  
"Lets Go! There's an extra sword here!" Bagon seemed to ignore him. The Undead Sorceress looked at Bagon's dark blue eyes with the one rotting eye she had left. Her blood-covered hand jumped and grabbed his neck. "Bagon! Come on!" Will stammered. He let go of the sword, only to be lifted into the air by his neck. "Why..." he chocked. She cocked her head. "...dreams" He said at last. "You're the dreamer?" She said, "No... Liar!" She tightened her grip on him, "Your not the necromancer... your not Fray..." An Arrow shot through her skull from the approaching group of Rouges, and she held out her hand, sending another ball of fire crashing into the ground, and splitting the Rouges up into confusion. Upon hearing her target speak her name, Fray stopped to pull out her Dagger, "What about me?" The Sorceress turned her head, arrow still poking out. She looked at the necromancer, "You're her..." "You used me..." "Only for resurrection... Now you are no longer needed" She held her bone, blood-covered hand off Bagon's neck, letting him breathe and fall to the ground. She held it out towards Fray as if she was going to cast another ball of fire. A Rouges arrow shot through the other side of her skull, and she completely ignored it. Sagent finally caught up with the group. He saw what was going on, and ran up to her yelling. Axe's out, he tried to swing at her. He spun around and around... axe wild warms stretched out. One of the blades hit her arm. But it didn't even chip the bone. It stopped his attack, and the sudden stop hurt his arm. In the time that the sorceress was distracted by Sagent's attack, Fray pulled out her dagger again and ran forward and tried to stab her with it (It ended up with the blade almost touching her spine) "If you used to be to bring you into the mortal realm... Than I can take you out!" "No!" The Undead Sorceress screamed and hit Sagent back, making him fly far and fall. Then she used her other hand and grabbed Fray by the throat, then she threw her away, she hit the ground and then slid through the rainwater and grass. The dagger was left as her feet when she threw Will and Bagon in different directions. The Rouges were again beginning to close in on her, and she grabbed her scepter from her side and dug it into the ground, causing the water on the ground to splash outwards in a circle around her. The wave soon turned to fire and died down. It was as if this was a warning to stay away, and, they did. Everyone was standing around her, out of range, of course. Paige and The old lady stood the farthest away, observing the fight. "She said she didn't send dreams to Bagon..." The lady said. Paige looked over, "That won't matter, considering Fray can take her out with her necromancer magic in the dagger"  
"How, Though?"  
"Some Undead are too strong for it's master to just destroy. However they're all very skilled with magic inside daggers, and sometimes need it to destroy their Undead"  
"So we need to get that dagger too kill her..."  
At this time, HellRaven finally burst into the fight. He rode his horse hind the Sorceress, and aimed his bow, then fired. She turned around and had the arrow get stuck in her neck bone.  
From behind HellRaven a Skeletal Mage ran out and started throwing green fire from it's hands.  
"We'll not give up now!" Sagent got up and ran forward, and everyone else did the same, asides Paige and the old lady.  
HellRaven made his way back through the rain and fighting towards Paige and the old lady.  
"You made it!" Paige said.  
"Sorry, it took longer then I expected" He said, then he turned back to the old lady, "How has the fighting gone?"  
"Not good... she seems almost invincible..."  
"We need to get Fray's dagger," Paige said, "That can get rid of her easily"  
"Fray's dagger?"  
"She seemed to find out that if she resurrected her somehow, she can get rid of her. But that strength can only come through her dagger"  
"A necromancers dagger is very precious..."  
They turned back to look at the fighting mob. And saw, through the darkness and rain, a Rouge's head fly up and land on the ground, a trail of blood following. HellRaven and Paige decided to go fight, and his Clay Golem and other Skeleton ran in.  
Now Surrounded by people, the Sorceress stretched a hand up to the sky, the ran immediately stopped, and everyone looked around. Suddenly, after a large clash of thunder, streaks of lighting shot out from the cloud. One hit a Rouge, and her and her horse fell to the ground hard, burnt.  
They all panicked and began riding around yelling.  
HellRaven and Paige stayed together.  
"Look!" Paige pointed to where Fray's body lay. The Silver Dagger was sitting at the bone foot of the Sorceress. Fray was crawling towards it.  
A very powerful lighting bolt struck Fray, and she stopped moving and hit the ground. The Sorceress picked up her foot and was about to crash down on it.  
"Without this dagger, you will never defeat me. I am too strong!"  
Suddenly, Paige was racing towards it.  
"Paige!" HellRaven yelled.  
"I can't let it!" She jumped off her horse and slid on the ground, grabbing the dagger and stopped sliding near Fray's body.  
"Fool!" The Sorceresses said, as a bolt then struck Paige, she yelled, but it was cut off as she hit the ground, and died staring at HellRaven.  
"No! No!"  
A tear ran down his cheek as he rushed over, lightning still striking people around him.  
She was truly dead.  
Now off his horse, HellRaven threw down his bow and took out a sword. Not saying anything he launched at the Sorceress, swinging at everything on her, and, she didn't even move.  
"Your more a fool than her" She hit HellRaven, and he flew down next to the 2 freshest bodies, "I will make your death slow..."  
The ground began to rumble, and over the dark horizon came thousands of zombies running full speed toward them. The lighting ceased, and everyone looked.  
"Ah..." She yelled, "My Army!"  
HellRaven searched for what to do as they came closer and closer every second.  
The Dagger  
It was still intact, He grabbed it and then stuck in between her spine, "Die!"  
He chanted a Spell, and the blade began to shine.  
"I will not die!" She pushed his hand away as it struck her finally, then everything... was black... 


	8. VIII

Red.  
The sun was pressing against HellRaven's eyelids and he opened them, to see a baby blue sky, with few puffs of white clouds. He sat up, to look around and saw many bodies of Rouges and even more zombies. There was no sign of life... or the Sorceress.  
The sound of hooves behind him made him turn, It was the old lady, and she reached a hand to help him up, he head still high as she was on a horse.  
HellRaven fell a bit but caught himself.  
"W-What happened?" he said wearily.  
She smiled, "You saved us. After the dagger hit her, It exploded in a blue flash, all of us were blinded. We had to fight a good majority of her Army like that. When our sight came back, her and her armies were gone. And you were knocked out..."  
"Did she die?"  
"Lets not get into th—"  
"Did she die!?" he yelled.  
She sighed, and looked at him clearly, "No. Chances are she teleported her and her army somewhere out of the Plains, But you definitely injured her a lot, if she had to transport her and her army away that fast"  
"But..."  
"But," She gave him a glare, "Now the pains are safe. Don't think about the Sorceress until It is needed. We'll think about her when the time Comes.  
Suddenly, HellRaven had shocking memories of blood, burnt skin, and death. Especially Paige. He was scared to ask his next question, but he did.  
"...And the deaths?"  
She sighed again, and looked at the ground, "Nine Rouges killed, everyone was injured in some way. Fray is baldly hurt, but still alive and..." She looked sad, "Paige was killed... too..."  
HellRaven looked down then looked back up, "She passed into the next Realm... But she wont be forgotten"  
The old lady smiled, "Hop on," Her horse moved, "We'll head back to the camp"  
HellRaven jumped on, and they took off. 


	9. Epilouge

It was the total opposite outside than inside. Outside there was the sun shining, the busy streets, and inside was darkness, and dirt. The man, cloaked in brown walked into Lut Golein's cheapest Inn.  
He walked up to the keeper, "Did you see any Paladins here lately? Anyone from the Plains?"  
The man looked over, and the old one let down his cloak hood to show his face, darkened from view.  
"Why? Who are you?  
  
Coming Soon...  
  
Second Episode of HellRaven  
  
Third Episode of HellRaven  
To complete the Trilogy! 


End file.
